There’s more to wellness on retreats than the daily practice of yoga. One of the most crucial but often overlooked aspects is understanding and catering for the diverse dietary requirements guests may have. But are you making this mistake when capturing dietary requirements? Is your dietary form too vague or general to collect this guest information in a meaningful way?
Hosts often ask simple yes/no questions (like “vegetarian?” or “allergies?”) without gathering the specific details needed to properly accommodate guests.
This leads to several problems:
- Not distinguishing between preferences and medical necessities – There’s a significant difference between someone who prefers to avoid gluten and someone with celiac disease who could become seriously ill from cross-contamination. Capturing medical information in relation to food is essential. Always ask for detailed information.
- Collecting incomplete information – For example, asking if someone is “vegetarian” without clarifying if they eat both eggs and dairy, or asking about “allergies” without understanding severity levels.
- Not planning for cross-contamination – Many hosts don’t understand that for serious allergies, separate preparation areas and utensils may be necessary. Engaging with specialist retreat chefs familiar with working with allergies is a step towards better peace of mind.
- Waiting until too late to gather information – Collecting dietary details just days before the retreat gives little time to properly plan menus, source ingredients, or find specialised retreat chefs. Making this data part of the booking process is straightforward and saves time later on.
- Not communicating effectively with your retreat chef – Even when information is collected, it’s often not properly communicated to those preparing the food. So, speak with your retreat chef and if possible, forward the dietary requirements forms directly to them. Also, be prepared to go back to guests to further clarify information – they won’t mind your diligence and in fact will most likely be grateful for the level of care you are showing.
To avoid these issues, retreat hosts should use detailed forms that distinguish between preferences and requirements, collect specific information about the nature of restrictions, and gather this information well in advance of the event.
Capturing dietary requirements properly does matter. Because they are part of taking responsibility for your guests. As well as creating a truly inclusive and compassionate retreat experience.
#dietaryrequirements #service #yogaretreats #wellnessretreats
